Outside information on sample storage temperatures:
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The 2012 article "Long term stability of paraoxonase-1 and high-density lipoprotein in human serum" tested the viability of this enzyme after storage at -20 ⁰C, -70 ⁰C, and -196 ⁰C for one year, and determined that PON1 activity is no different after storage at -70 ⁰C versus -196 ⁰C. Full article is in Lipids in Health and Disease, Beekhof, Gorshunska, Jansen.
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Storage temperatures of −20 °C and 4 °C are equivalent to −70 °C for stability of Cd, Mn, Pb, Se, and Hg in human whole blood stored in sealed polypropylene cryovials for at least 36 months….The trend observed here that higher temperatures incur additional problems in elemental recovery and sample integrity suggests that −20 °C or − 70 °C would be the better storage temperature options if samples will be stored for >3 y. However, storing human whole blood samples at −20 °C or 4 °C up to 3 y prior to testing for these elements saves energy. More details can be found here.
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A 2004 article from the Journal of Clinical Microbiology indicates that the majority of fungal isolates tested in the study (excluding dermatophyte and C. dubliniensis strains) are viable after storage at -70 ⁰C for four years. Full article is DOI: 10.1128/JCM.42.3.1257-1259.2004, "Long-Term Preservation of Fungal Isolates in Commercially Prepared Cryogenic Microbank Vials" by Espinel-Ingroff et al. 2004
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An article from the Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, written in 1996, identifies ideal storage temperatures for DNA and RNA samples in a clinical setting, including the recommendation of -70 ⁰C in certain cases. Review the article for full details.
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Two posters from the company SeraCare on the topic of sample stability are available below. The first poster indicates that -20 ⁰C and -80 ⁰C both are suitable freezer temperature for genomic DNA storage. The second poster indicates effective preservation of RNA at -70 ⁰C and effective preservation of antibodies and antigens at -20 ⁰C.